Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [224]
Inside the mausoleum a processional way links the series of low mounds bearing all the main buildings. After the salutation courtyard and stele-house comes the principal temple (Sung An), where Minh Mang and his queen, who died at the age of 17, are worshipped. Despite this early loss, Minh Mang managed to father 142 children with his 33 wives and 107 concubines. Though beautifully restored, the only point of interest about the temple itself is that local Christians vandalized it in 1885 to protest against Minh Mang’s virulent anti-Catholicism. Continuing west you reach Minh Lau, the elegant, two-storey “Pavilion of Pure Light” standing among clouds of frangipani trees, symbols of longevity; beyond, two stone gardens trace the Chinese character for long life. From here the ceremonial pathway crosses a crescent lake and ends at the circular burial mound.
With the new bridge (part of the new highway connecting to the airport) it is now easy to get here from Khai Dinh’s Tomb. Simply follow the road to the highway, cross over the river and turn left after fifty metres for Minh Mang’s Mausoleum. The entrance is then a couple of hundred metres’ walk through a barrage of souvenir-sellers. Note that sampans are available to Gia Long’s Mausoleum and the Hon Chen Temple (see "Hon Chen Temple") from the other side of the river, from a small village just west of the bridge.
The central provinces - Part 2 | Around Hué | The Royal Mausoleums |
The Mausoleum of Gia Long
As the first Nguyen ruler, Gia Long had his pick of the sites, and he chose an immense natural park 16km from Hué on the left bank of the Perfume River. Unfortunately his mausoleum – begun in 1814 and completed shortly after his death in 1820 – was badly damaged during the American War and there’s not a great deal to see beyond some fine carving, and a double tomb with pitched roofs housing Gia Long and his wife. However, this is the least-visited of Hué’s mausoleums and is recommended for the boat trip and the peaceful stroll through sandy pine forest, though some visitors complain of attracting a convoy of persistent soft-drink sellers for the duration of the two-kilometre walk. You approach the complex from the north to find the main temple, tomb and stele-house all aligned on a horizontal axis, looking south across a lake towards Thien Tho Mountain.
The easiest way to reach Gia Long’s Mausoleum is by road as far as the Minh Mang boat station, from where sampans can be hired (20min each way; 30,000đ return).
The central provinces - Part 2 | Around Hué | The Royal Mausoleums |
The Mausoleum of Dong Khanh
Dong Khanh was put on the throne by the French in 1885 as titular head of their new protectorate. A pliant ruler with a fondness for French wine, perfume and alarm clocks, he died suddenly at the age of 25 after only three years on the throne; having never got round to planning his final resting place he was buried near the temple he dedicated to his father. As a result this is a modest, countryside mausoleum with a rustic charm but is particularly well preserved.
The mausoleum consists of two parts: the main temple, and then the tomb and stele in a separate, walled enclosure on a slight rise 100m to the northwest. The complex was built mostly by Dong Khanh’s son, Khai Dinh, after 1889, though has been added to since. The main temple holds most interest: the first thing you notice are the coloured-glass doors and windows, but the faded murals on each side wall showing